Short-Term Rental License Required; Application; Fee
Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 686B.03
in effect§ 686B.03 Short-Term Rental License Required; Application; Fee
(a) No owner or operator shall operate, rent, lease, sublease, license or sublicense a dwelling unit as a short-term rental without a short-term rental license from the Commissioner.
(b) Short-term rental license applications shall be made on forms supplied by the Commissioner for that purpose and shall include:
(1) the name, street address, mailing address, email address, and telephone or cell phone number of the owner of the dwelling to be used for short-term rental purposes;
(2) the name, street address, mailing address, email address, and telephone or cell phone number of the operator of the dwelling, if any, to be used for short-term rental purposes;
(3) the name, address, email address and telephone or cell phone number of a local contact who can be contacted regarding immediate concerns and complaints about the short-term rental property;
(4) the street address of the dwelling to be used for short-term rental purposes;
(5) a dimensioned floor plan of the proposed short-term rental showing the proposed maximum number of transient guests, number of bedrooms, other living spaces, locations of safety features, and emergency evacuation routes;
(6) a parking plan of the premises identifying the location and quantity of parking spaces to be used in conjunction with the short-term rental;
(7) proof of liability insurance for the short-term rental, or proof that the short-term rental and the short-term owner or operator are named insured under a booking agent’s liability of insurance, with limits not less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00);
(8) if applicant is a tenant, proof of possession of the dwelling unit by a valid lease agreement that allows for subleasing, or other verification of the tenant’s right to possession of the premises. Evidence of a prohibition to sublease the dwelling unit shall be grounds for denial of a short-term rental license;
(9) proof of payment of all applicable taxes, including real estate taxes and transient occupancy taxes, due as of the date of submission of the application;
(10) proof of a certificate of occupancy issued pursuant to Section 3105.11 for the short-term rental premises;
(11) proof that the dwelling is certified lead safe as described in Section 365.04; and
(12) any other information that the Commissioner deems necessary in his or her discretion.
(c) All information required under division (b) for a short-term rental license application shall be updated within seven (7) days of a change in status, including any changes in the contact information of the operator and local contact.
(d) Every short-term rental license application shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). Every license issued shall be given a license number. Licenses shall be valid for one year commencing on December 1, and shall expire on November 30 of the following year, unless sooner revoked by the Commissioner. The fees for the initial licensing year shall be prorated from the month of issuance until November 30 of that year. Licenses issued under this section are not transferrable from one person to another or from one premises to another.
(e) Licenses may be renewed, on a form supplied by the Commissioner, for the following year provided all requirements of this chapter are met and no changes have been made from the previously approved application. The license renewal fee shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). An application for renewal of a license shall be filed no sooner than September 1 and no later than November 1 of the year of license expiration.
(f) The manner by which initial licenses and annual licenses will be issued, and the quantity of such licenses to be issued initially and annually will be in accordance with Section 686B.04 and the rules and regulations established by the Commissioner pursuant to Section 686B.10.
(Ord. No. 561-2026. Passed 6-1-26, eff. 11-28-26)
Source: City of Cleveland, Ohio, Codified Ordinances and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cleveland/latest/cleveland_oh/0-0-0-54153Fetched: 11/1/2026